


Fourth of July

by FarTooManyFandoms



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Fluff, Hetalia Countries Using Human Names, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 02:55:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30082410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FarTooManyFandoms/pseuds/FarTooManyFandoms
Summary: France and England surprise America for his birthday
Relationships: America/England/France (Hetalia)
Kudos: 8





	Fourth of July

Francis lounged in Alfred’s living room with the air conditioning on blast, practically melting into the couch. It was the beginning of July and far too hot in Francis’ opinion. Honestly, he was tempted to lay on the cold hard floor but that would be so very undignified, so he stayed where he was, dying, in the sun. Part of him that was glad that it at least wasn't humid, as that would be simply horrid. The heat would be increasingly unbearable, breathing would be more difficult, and the worst part? Humidity messes up his hair.

Arthur had been laying on the cool wood, but he had gotten up a bit ago. Francis had no clue what he got up for, or where he went. He had half a brain to go and make sure he hadn't keeled over on his way to the toilet, but staying sprawled out on the couch seemed much more appealing. Arthur would be fine. Maybe. 

The two used to have a plan to make Alfred a cake, but upon arriving in Texas they were too overwhelmed by the heat and immediately decided it was too hot for any sort of use of the oven. Francis wondered absentmindedly if Arthur was going to retrieve one of his costumes. That was a possibility, surprising Alfred with sex when he came home from work.

Wait, no, they did that last year. Sex was always amazing, after centuries of life you’d expect one to get bored of it, but Arthur and Alfred always kept finding new ways to make it interesting and fun and he wouldn’t trade it for the world. Alas, they had sex enough as it was, so a different birthday present was in order.

There was no topping the statue of liberty, that had been possibly the best gift he had ever given America, but perhaps he could find something adequate. It wasn’t his 250’th yet, so nothing big, though France’s definition of big tended to be more extreme than others, so maybe he should go small? No, if there was one thing he had learned about Alfred over the years it was that he liked everything huge, so nothing too quaint. Perhaps new sex toys…? No, no, bad idea, not an appropriate birthday present. Maybe he could do a large flower arrangement? He was getting a tad rusty on the language of flowers, but he should be able to put something nice together. Lets see, red roses, of course, are a must…

Just as Francis started to mentally arrange a stunning bouquet for Alfred, Arthur stepped back into the room, now wearing an apron over his shorts and t-shirt. It was an alarming sight, after all, if anything spelled bad news it was Arthur in an apron. What he was holding wasn’t too dangerous of ingredients. No flour, no sugar, all he had were chocolate wafers and whipping cream. What was he going to do with that?

“Angleterre, what are you doing?” Wafers and whipping cream didn’t look too dangerous on their own, but this was Arthur, a known menace in the kitchen who ruined everything he touched, so he was not to be trusted in an apron, no matter the situation.

“I just recalled a recipe Alfred had told me about years ago. Simple, nothing going in the oven, so no making this dreaded heat worse, and it’s delicious.” It… It sounded safe enough, surprisingly, so Francis let him start on it, keeping an eye on him, just to be safe.

He watched as Arthur got out a butter knife and a plate, putting the cream in a bowl and whipping it. Carefully, he opened the package of wafers as though afraid they would crumble if he so much as looked at them the wrong way. Removing a single round wafer, he scooped a bit of the whipped cream up with the knife and spread it generously onto the wafer and set it down on the plate, cream side up. He did this to another and placed it on top of the first. After doing this to a few more he took the stack and set it on its side, continuing to make the line of wafers and whipped cream longer. 

Then he started another row. It was interesting to watch, Arthur making this with such a determined look on his face. Francis realized that he was trying very hard to get this recipe just right, though he was hesitant to call it a recipe. It was just chocolate wafers and whipped cream, but Arthur was making an effort, and not just to keep from coughing up blood. It was endearing, cute, even, as cute as one could look while trying not to cough up blood, that is.

Arthur covered the whole thing in whipped cream before stepping back to smile at it. Francis dragged himself up from being draped dramatically over the arm of the couch to join Arthur and judge the desert. Perhaps the added whipped cream was a bit too thick, and he may have broken a wafer or three, but it didn’t look terrible. It looked edible, even. That was definitely a first coming from Francis. He stared at it for a moment, then looked to Arthur and back.

“Well Arthur, I think you've made something edible. What do we do now?”

“We, well I don’t quite know. I’d say we put it in the fridge until Alfred gets home.”

And so they did just that, though Francis rearranged Alfred’s whole fridge as it was a mess and very full, impossible to shove a cake into. He probably spent a good half hour with everything on the floor, including himself. There was something in him telling to clean all of Alfred’s ridiculously filthy kitchen, but he had to remind himself that while it would most likely be welcomed, it was not his place to do so. Alfred being unable to find things in his own home wouldn’t be pleasant and Francis would get an earful if he redecorated, so he turned a blind eye to the filth and the couple of dishes in the sink he so desperately wanted to wash and put away and returned to his spot on the couch disdainfully.

Arthur and Francis sat around being bored, chatting a little, for the hour it took Alfred to get home from work. What they had really wanted to do for Alfred’s birthday was surprise him, but when Francis felt a shudder go down his spine and the sudden knowledge that Arthur had stepped foot in France, he was reminded that wouldn’t work, so they settled for as much of a surprise as they could; arriving unannounced while Alfred was at work and couldn’t come see them until he was done. 

Francis could tell from the look on Arthur's face that he was proud of his work, and he couldn't help but smile himself, just as, if not more proud of how the… cake…? turned out. He was sure Alfred would love it. Dragging himself off the couch, Francis joined Arthur on the cool wood floor, finally giving in, placing a kiss on the other's forehead. It was a relief, the coolness, perhaps worth the price of his dignity. Here's to hoping Alfred doesn't catch him in such a disgraceful position.


End file.
